“I’m calling for a tit-for-tat policy. If the number one and number two handguns in America [Austria’s Glock and Croatia’s XD] are from European countries that totally prohibit U.S.-made handguns, then we should reciprocate. We will have a perfect mirror. We’ll follow whatever they do. If their regulations loosen, ours will loosen. If theirs become more strict, ours will become equally strict. We’ll do the same as they do. Tit-for-tat.” Ruger CEO Mike Fifer said to Cameron Hopkins, writer of the NRA blog Industry Insider. “When Hopkins tries to ease Fifer out of the hole he’s dug, the Ruger suit digs deeper . . .
I respectfully point out that free trade is not an issue that any one industry can affect because America’s trade polices are a complex web of issues that span everything from farm subsidies to banana tariffs.
“I’m not talking about tariffs or taxes. I’m referring to regulations that prohibit us from selling into a country that has no such restriction to stop them from selling to us. A simple tit-for-tat policy would level the playing field for all of us,” the former Naval Academy graduate said.
While Fifer’s fightin’ words are sure to motivate Ruger’s “base,” shareholders will not be well pleased. And now you know why guys like Fifer have PR handlers.